Stepladder



July 28, 1925. n' 1,547,966

W. M.SHERMAN STEPLADDE R Filed Aug. 2, 1923 Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITE o STATES PATENT omer..

WILlLIAlVI Ml OF. OMAHA, NEBRASKL` STEPLADDER.

Application led August 2,1923. Serial'lNo; 655,190.

An object of the present `invention is to .provide a i ladder ofthis type' which. may .be

used as an .ordinary-step ladder, as ain-eX- .tension ladder, an vordinary leaning ladder, .orv ladderwhich maybe .adjusted to .va- .rious irregular-.conditions 'met within the floors,..stairs or other supports. Y

Another object of the invention is to pro* vide aladder which comprises apair of mediu-m sized sections .so constructed Aand .provided lwith-devices thatpermit of the adjustment of these sections to adapt the ladder .forlgeneralhousehold use by mechanics such as paper hangers, painters and .the-like.

A: further; object ofthe: invention is to provide aladder of. this .character which .may be used up'on stair-.ways .and in halls forsupporting planksor the like for use .bly mechanics and which' need notcome in contact with .the walls, and which will not `mar ori destroy anyv of vthe flooring, vstairs or coverings therefor.

Afstill `further object of the invention is to provideanimproved construction of lad- .derwhich embodies a `novel interlocking .means for securing the sections one upon the; other ininterbracing position and with the supporting section of the ladder at va- `rions-heights, and which also provides a Vv,novel connection between the. ladder sections which permit thesliding of one upon the otherand the securing of one section in an extended position from the other.

f Vif-ith the foregoing and other objects in view,.the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

Inthe drawings, wherein like syIIllOOlS repose which will hereinafter appear.

fer to like or corresponding `parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1- is a siderelevationof a laddel.' constructed `according y,to the Apresenta invention and setup on afstair-way andinfthe L hallleading thereto, .the ladder supporting a plank or scaffoldsection. f

Figure Zis a top plan view ofthefladder. Figure 3 is alongitudinal rsectiontaken through the ladder extended and' leaning against a wall.

Figure f4 is a frontelevation of the same. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the ladder adjusted foruse .as a common step ladder..

Figure 6 is-a fragmentary. side elevation of the upper endof the supporting and extension section of the ladder, .andi

Figure 7 isa fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section through the upper/end ofy the step portionof theila'dder, showing. the supporting and extension Isectionindotteil lines -and in position to supportl the ladder asshown in .Figurey 5,. v

Referring to lth drawings the ladder comprises two sections, a step or main section and a supportingonextension section. The main or step section of the ladder comprises a pair of rside rails 10 of suitable length which support therebetween a plurality of stepsV ll which are. preferably .morticed in the inner sides ofthe rails 10.

These steps 11 are provided near their inner edges and in spaced relation to the side rails 10 with pairs of openings l2 for a pill;-

s shown to advantage in Figure 7, the side rails l0 are providedat their upper ends with coupling plates 13 which may be edgewisegextensionsof the side rails 10|` or which may-be' otherwise suitably formed upon the upper ends of the side rails to project beyond the inner edges of the side rails. rIhese couplingplates 13 have in their innery opposite faces longitudinal slots 14 extending substantially parallel with theedges of the side lrailsv 10 andI which open through the upper and lower edges of the coupling plates 113'.

The coupling plates 13 are'further providedwith. slots-.or recesses 15S-formed in the section.

inner opposite faces of the plates 13 and which intersect the intermediate portions of the slots 14 at an angle ot substantially 45 degrees thereto. lhe slots 15 provide at opposite. sides or the slots 14 oppositely tacing seats or shoulders 16 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The coupling plates 13 are connected together at their rear edge portions by a cross rod 17 which is spaced inwardly from the plane of the inner edges of the side rails 10 and which is also located beyond the slots 14 and 15.

The other section of the ladder which comprises the supporting or extension section is provided with side rails 18 connected together by a plurality of rungs 1D and being of a width adapted to lit between the coupling plates 13 of the main ladder The upper ends of the side rails 18 are provided with laterally projecting stops 2O arranged to overhang the coupling plates 13 and engage the upper edges ot' the ladder 'for holding the supporting sections from sliding downwardly trom between the coupling plates. rlhe lower end of the supporting and extension section of the ladder is provided with a pair of curved hooks 21 which are pivoted upon bolts 22 or the like carried in the lower ends of the rails 18 or" the extension section and which are arranged to swing outwardly and into the openings 12 ol an adjacent step of the main ladder section so as to interlock the two sections in extended position and at the desired length. rlhe hooks 21 combined with the cross rod 17 of the main section hold the two sections firmly in extended position as shown in'Figures 3 and 4.

rlhe secondary section of the ladder, which is the supporting and extension section, is

`provided at opposite sides and at suitably spaced apart points in the length of the section, with pairs of interlocking ears 23 which are or" a width adapted to slide longitudinally through the slots 14 of the coupling plates and which are orP a length adapted to snugly lit the cross slots 15 when the secondary ladder section is swung into the position at substantially 45 degrees to the main section, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 7 ln this instance the ears have opposite ends engaging' the shoulders or seats 16 of the slots 15 and hold the secondary section troni not only sliding through the plates 13 but also from swinging between the plates. These ears 23 are brought into line with the cross slots 15 by sliding the secondary ladder section through the plates so that the upper pairs of ears 23 may be interlocked with the coupling plates 13 as shown in Figures 5 and 7, or the intermediate pair of ears 23 may be interlocked with the coupling plates 13 as shown in Figure 1 and under such conditions where the supporting surface of the secondary section is higher than the supporting sur'ace ol the main section.

Ut course the ears 23 may be provided in any suitable positions upon the secondary ladder section and may be spaced apart as desired to' ineet the conditions of use. It will also be noted from Figures 6 and 7, particularly, that the upper pair of ears 23 when moved downwardly in the slots 14 of the coupling plates are permitted to pass below the cross slots 15 before the stops 20 engage the coupling plates or suspending the secondary ladder section trom the coupling plates. 1n this position the upper ears hold the secondary section from swinging inwardly away from the ste-p or main portion of the ladder and serve in conjunction with the cross rod 17 as a means t'or suitably bracing and holding the two sections of the ladder lirmly together.

F rom the above it is thought that the adjustments or'l the device for various uses will be understood and it may be pointed out that the secondary section can be elevated.

between the coupling plates 13 until the desired pair oit ears 23 registers with the cross slots 15. The secondary section is now swung inwardly at its lower endaway from the main section and such operation swings the selected pairs ot' ears 23 into the cross slots 15 and against the seats or shoulders 16. r1`he lower end ot the secondary section is now rested upon the floor or support and the sections ot the ladder are held interloclred at the desired angle. This adjustment is shown in Figure 1 for the lower pair or' ears and in Figure 5 for the upper pair of ears.

lli/hen to be used as an extension ladder the secondary section is merely slid upwardly through the coupling plates 13 until the desired height is reached when the hooks 21 are swung outwardly and through the openings 12 oiQ the adjacent step 11.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without departing from the spirit or' the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope ol' the appended claim.

l/Vhat is claimed is A step ladder comprising a main section and an extension section, a pair of plates projecting rearwardly from the upper end of the main section and having registering slots in their inner opposite faces extending substantially in parallel relation with the main section, said plates having shouldered recesses in their inner opposite faces intersecting the slots and extending at an angle thereto, and lateral projections arranged in pairs at opposite sides of said extension section and adapted to freely slide through said slots of the plates when the extension respect to the main section for locking the section is swung into parallel relation with two sections against relative movement. 10

the main section for adjusting the extension section along the main section, said lateral projections of the extension section being adapted to enter said recesses and` bear against the shoulders thereof when the eX- tension section 1s swung into an angle with In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. SHERMAN. Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. STURGES, HIRAM A. STURGES. 

